Seriously, why?

Hi, everyone! I hope you’re doing well. In the last edition of Upasna Asks, I talked about some common struggles that come with being the only person of color in white spaces. I kept thinking about this topic, and I started to consider “white spaces” as more than just physical places, but also as organizations, institutions, and industries. Today I’ll be talking about the entertainment industry, specifically TV and film in the U.S., and the importance of POC representation within it. You can read the studies I mention here, here, here, and here. I’ll be going over some questions like these:

• How does it feel, as a kid, to not see yourself represented in TV and movies?
• How should POC be represented in the media?
• What are the benefits of POC representation on screen?

Let’s discuss: